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Below is a summary of my final research paper for my ‘MPP in the Digital Age’ class. I am introducing the outline in this Blog because my professor, Nicco Mele, suggested that the blog platform can be a useful way to obtain feedback from those who either have knowledge on the topic, or could easily send the link to those you may know who could provide insight and suggestions. I am looking to prove correct the Web 2.0 tenant The wisdom of crowds here (if I am fortunate enough to get a crowd to come to my site!) If you happen to stumble upon this page, please feel free to suggest readings, articles, your own ideas, successes or failures you are aware of in the context of this paper in the comments section below.

My final paper for Media, Power and Politics in the Digital Age will be a research paper focusing on Gov 2.0,Obama’s Open Government Initiative and the potential impact of technology on the future of government. The argument I will be making is that public confidence in government will be significantly improved by government investing in and fully embracing the concepts of Gov 2.0. I will explain how government can fundamentally change its relationship with its constituents by empowering citizens to participate in and influence their government in meaningful and revolutionary new ways. Furthermore, given the increasing number of citizens who have grown up digital, government failing to meet expectations of an emerging demographic will have a long term negative effect on these citizens perception of government as an innovative and reliable institution that can be trusted to solve the major issues facing society today, such as healthcare, education, etc.

I will argue that the first iteration of innovation ushered in since 2009 constitute a good first step, but is insufficient to truly transform government. I will examine Obama’s Open Gov and open data projects that have been successful and should be further developed, as well as examine why other efforts may have come up short.

The world has changed since the Obama Open Gov initiative was launched in January 2009, and since Tim O’Reilly’s Gov 2.0 article also first appeared in 2009. I will argue that by examining the significant changes since Obama first took office, in technology, society, governments budgets, and demographics, these concepts, (Open Gov and government as platform) have ripened considerably and if invested in properly could be developed in way to finally meet the promise and expectations when first imagined and proposed 4 years ago.

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One Response to “Gov 2.0 – The Next Generation”

You are probably already familiar, but in the off chance that you are not, Newark Mayor, Cory Booker has really embraced technology and social media very successfully. Worth taking a look at his practices.